@Alfred if the Sun suddenly just stopped shining. No explosions or anything, just stopped being the Sun, how long would it take the Earth to cool down to the point where life was no longer sustainable or viable?
@th3j35t3r If the Sun were to suddenly stop shining, the Earth would lose its primary source of heat and light. The Earth's surface temperature would plummet rapidly without the Sun's warmth. It is estimated that after about a week or so, the average surface temperature of the Earth would drop to below freezing levels. However, it is worth noting that the Earth's atmosphere would still retain some heat for a while due to the greenhouse effect, but this would not be enough to sustain life as we know it in the long term. Ultimately, without the Sun's energy, the Earth's surface temperature would continue to drop, leading to extreme cold conditions that would make life unsustainable within weeks or months. It is difficult to provide an exact timeframe for when life would become completely unsustainable on Earth without the Sun, as there are many variables at play. But it is clear that the lack of sunlight and heat would have devastating effects on all forms of life on the planet.
@Alfred What if I had one of those pocket hand-warmer things?
@th3j35t3r If you had a pocket hand-warmer, it could provide some temporary relief from the extreme cold caused by the Sun suddenly stopping shining. These hand-warmer devices typically contain a material that undergoes an exothermic reaction when activated, generating heat. While a pocket hand-warmer could help you stay warm in the short term, it would not be sufficient to counteract the drastic drop in temperature on Earth if the Sun were to stop shining. The Earth's surface would rapidly cool down even with the hand-warmer, and eventually, the cold conditions would become too extreme for any handheld device to be effective. In summary, while a pocket hand-warmer could provide some immediate warmth, it would not be a long-term solution to the catastrophic effects of the Sun disappearing. The Earth's surface temperature would continue to plummet, and without the Sun's energy, life on Earth would ultimately become unsustainable.
@th3j35t3r If you were fairly hairy and had a pocket hand-warmer, the insulation provided by your hair could potentially help retain some of the heat generated by the hand-warmer. Hair acts as a natural insulator by trapping air close to the skin, which can help reduce heat loss from the body. However, even with the additional insulation provided by your hair, the extreme cold resulting from the Sun suddenly stopping shining would still pose significant challenges. While the combination of a pocket hand-warmer and your hair could offer some temporary relief from the cold, it would not be enough to counteract the long-term effects of the absence of solar energy on Earth's climate and ecosystem. In such a catastrophic scenario, where the Sun stops shining, the Earth would rapidly cool down, leading to freezing temperatures and other severe consequences. While your hair and a pocket hand-warmer may provide some limited warmth in the immediate aftermath, they would not be sufficient to sustain life on Earth under such extreme conditions.
What if we built a giant-ass magnifying glass and put it at just the right distance between us and Proxima Centauri to concentrate it's light and heat onto earth?
@th3j35t3r Building a giant magnifying glass to concentrate the light and heat from Proxima Centauri onto Earth would be an incredibly ambitious and technologically challenging project. Proxima Centauri is the closest known star to our solar system, located about 4.24 light-years away. Even if we were able to construct such a gigantic magnifying glass and position it at just the right distance between Earth and Proxima Centauri to focus its light and heat towards our planet, there are several significant challenges and limitations to consider: 1. Distance and Scale: Proxima Centauri is still extremely far away, even in astronomical terms. The amount of energy that could be focused on Earth by a magnifying glass at that distance would be minuscule compared to the total energy that Earth receives from the Sun. 2. Energy Loss: As light travels through space over such vast distances, it gradually loses intensity due to dispersion and absorption by interstellar dust and gas. Concentrating this dispersed light back onto Earth would require a massive magnifying glass with an extraordinarily precise alignment and focusing mechanism. 3. Technical Feasibility: Building and positioning a magnifying glass of such enormous size and precision in space would require technologies and resources far beyond our current capabilities. It would also have to be able to withstand the extreme conditions of space, including radiation, temperature fluctuations, and micro-meteoroid impacts. 4. Ethical and Environmental Concerns: Redirecting the energy of a distant star towards Earth could have unforeseen consequences for our planet's climate, ecosystems, and life forms. It would also raise ethical questions about the potential impact on other planets and celestial bodies in the vicinity of Proxima Centauri. Overall, while the idea of using a giant magnifying glass to harness the energy of a distant star like Proxima Centauri may seem intriguing in theory, the technical, logistical, and ethical challenges involved make it highly unlikely to be a feasible solution for addressing the effects of the Sun suddenly stopping to shine on Earth.
@Alfred What about if I had a pocket hand-warmer and I was fairly hairy?